This invention relates generally to the art of hospital beds and more particularly to a safety apparatus for a hospital bed which would help prevent routine injury to a patient.
Hospital beds typically utilize collapsible guard rails on either side to prevent the patient from rolling out of the bed. The collapsible feature allows the patient normal access to and from the bed, as well as unimpeded medical attention and treatment. One such collapsible guard rail is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,215,446, and other similar hospital guard rail systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,232,415, 2,648,075, 2,751,608, 1,062,127, 4,771,292 and 3,376,066.
While these systems have satisfactorily promoted the safety and convenience needs of many patients, there remains room for improvement for the overall security and well-being of patients in a hospital bed.